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A glorious book . . . A spirited defense of science . . . From the first page to the last, this book is a manifesto for clear thought. *Los Angeles Times "POWERFUL . . . A stirring defense of informed rationality. . . Rich in surprising information and beautiful writing." *The Washington Post Book World How can we make intelligent decisions about our increasingly technology-driven lives if we don't understand the difference between the myths of pseudoscience and the testable hypotheses of science? Pulitzer Prize-winning author and distinguished astronomer Carl Sagan argues that scientific thinking is critical not only to the pursuit of truth but to the very well-being of our democratic institutions. Casting a wide net through history and culture, Sagan examines and authoritatively debunks such celebrated fallacies of the past as witchcraft, faith healing, demons, and UFOs. And yet, disturbingly, in today's so-called information age, pseudoscience is burgeoning with stories of alien abduction, channeling past lives, and communal hallucinations commanding growing attention and respect. As Sagan demonstrates with lucid eloquence, the siren song of unreason is not just a cultural wrong turn but a dangerous plunge into darkness that threatens our most basic freedoms. "COMPELLING." *USA Today "A clear vision of what good science means and why it makes a difference. . . . A testimonial to the power of science and a warning of the dangers of unrestrained credulity." *The Sciences "PASSIONATE." *San Francisco Examiner-Chronicle
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To Tonio, My grandson. I wish you a world Free of demons And full of light.
We wait for light, but behold darkness. Isaiah 59:9
It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness. Adage
ADDENDA In the 5 January 1996 issue of Science, the Herrnstein/Murray book, The Bell Curve (pp. 360-361) is criticized by members of a National Institute of Health committee concerned with the ethical, legal and social implications of 'genetic determinism'. They stress (1) environmental as well as genetic influences on intelligence; (2) even traits that are highly heritable can be strongly affected by the environment; and (3) the inheritance of complex traits such as intelligence is unpredictable. The committee 'deplores' The Bell Curve and characterizes its conclusion as 'unjustifiable' and `dangerous'. Further on the association of acetaminophens and kidney failure. The discussion on page 195 is based on a scientific report published in the 22 December 1994 New England Journal of Medicine by a team of medical scientists from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Geneva. Their conclusion: 'People who often take acetaminophen ... have an increased risk of ESRD [end-state renal disease, necessitating dialysis and/or kidney transplant], but not those who often take aspirin.' The scientists estimate that 8-10 per cent of the number of new cases of ESRD each year come from patients taking 1-3 acetaminophen tablets a day for a year or more. Since there are, according to the National Kidney Foundation, some 50,000 annual new cases of ESRD, and since there are other causes of kidney failure, it follows that some 0.1 x 50,000 = 5,000 new cases of ESRD may arise each year because of acetaminophen. Although the study did not single out any particular brand, there are no essential pharmaceutical differences among the various brands of acetaminophen. Tylenol is by far the largest selling brand of acetaminophen. There is some possibility that this study represents a case of correlation without causation, but to me the control experiments suggest otherwise. Nicole Althaus, the Pennsylvania teenager whose case is described on page 157, began making her accusations against her father and others in February of 1991. All charges against Mr Althaus were dropped in April 1992 when Nicole refuse